Shower Face Shield II

ABSTRACT

A protective face mask comprising: an eye-protecting shield made essentially from a flexible plastic material, the eye-protecting shield being dimensioned to cover at least the eye portions of a human wearer, the eye-protecting shield having a perimeter defining a first surface facing the wearer&#39;s face, and a second surface facing away from the wearer&#39;s face; for providing a substantially watertight and releasable sealing engagement between at least a portion of the perimeter forming an upper edge of the face mask and at least a portion of the skin of the wearer&#39;s face, and the lower part of the perimeter of the mask is free from the wearer&#39;s skin, and wherein the mask extends along the contour of the wearer&#39;s face from the forehead to cheekbones and the lower perimeter thereof extends to the bridge of the nose provides a comfortable and flexible mask without the need for a strap or side bars, avoids pressure on the skin in the contact zone, allows free eye movement and airflow and minimizes the formation of dew. The mask is primarily adapted for providing a waterproof shield to allow a person who has recently done their make-up to shower and shampoo their hair while keeping their eye make-up in a clean dry condition.

BACKGROUND—PRIOR ART

The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appearsrelevant:

U.S. Patents Patent Number Kind Code Issue Date Patentee 1,640,676 1927August Shaeffer 2,033,691 1936 March Douglass 3,310,812 1967 MarchGaisser 3,545,436 1970 December Holloway 4,856,535 1989 August Forbes5,685,022 A 1997 November Essman 5,865,196 A 1999 February Foote6,213,125 B1 2001 April Reese 7,275,819 B2 2007 October Bleau 7,774,858B2 2010 August Kayerod

Foreign Patent Documents Foreign Doc. Nr. Cntry Code Kind Code Pub. DtPatentee 110147 DE 2006 January Edinger

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a face mask comprising a protective eyeshield dimensioned to cover at least the eye portions of a human wearer.The face mask is particularly useful for shielding against water orshampoo during showering and hair washing. The face mask is alsoapplicable in hairdressing for protecting the wearer's eyes from hairtonic, rinse, hair spray, hair color and clippings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

Eye goggles and face masks are habitually used to keep the wearer's eyesprotected from external environments. For example, swimming goggles areused to protect the wearer's eyes from water. It is important that aface mask properly fit the face of the wearer. The need for a good sealis self-evident, as is the importance of comfort in the fit of the mask.If the mask is not comfortable to wear, it will bother the user and maycreate feelings of uneasiness. The present invention relates to a lightweight protective shield to cover and protect the eyes, the eyebrows,and a portion of the face of the wearer during showers to maintain a dryenvironment.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the past it has been necessary to direct the spray of water duringshowering and shampooing in such a manner to avoid getting water in theeyes. This is of course a difficult task and it is not always possibleto keep the entire facial area completely dry due to the overspray ofthe shower nozzle. There is thus a need for a device which willeffectively and comfortably seal against the user's forehead and face toensure a dry environment during showering or during trips to thehairdresser.

Traditional eye goggles and face masks normally comprise a spongy orrubber-like material for providing a seal between a perimeter of thegoggles or face masks and a portion of the face surrounding the wearer'seyes. Such goggles and face masks are typically made of a rigid plasticmaterial. This rigid plastic material can make the goggles uncomfortablefor the wearer. The eye goggles or face masks may be held in place,firmly engaging the wearer's face, by adhesive, side bars, or elasticbands. Goggles and face masks are traditionally sealed around the entireeye contour of the wearer. Goggles that seal around the entire eye areawill sometimes collect dew on the inside of the mask making it difficultfor the user to see. Goggles with side bars can put undue pressure onside of head causing headaches.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,535 discloses a shield for providing a water proofseal across the forehead and along the sides of the face shield to allowa patient having recently had facial cosmetic or reconstructive surgeryto shower and shampoo their hair while keeping the bandages andincisions in a clean dry condition. The edge of the shield having theadhesive is pressed against the patient's forehead adjacent the hairlineand down along the temples and the side of the face. The shield is of aflexible material allowing the bending and forming along the contour ofthe face while being rigid enough to retain its shape and form a shieldspaced from the patient's face, and produces a tent-like structureleading away from the forehead downwardly over the nose and extendingbeyond the chin of the patient. As the shield disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,856,535 extends beyond the chin of the patient humidity from exhaledair will condense at the inner surface thereof and form dew being highlyundesirable, especially if used for protecting children's eyes, nose andmouth during bathing. Furthermore, children may feel isolated behind afull face mask covered with dew.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,774,858 discloses an eye-protecting shield theeye-protecting shield dimensioned to cover at least the eye portions ofa human wearer, the eye-protecting shield having a perimeter defining afirst surface facing the wearer's face, and a second surface facing awayfrom the wearer's face; an adhesive forming an adhesive strip attachedto the first surface of the eye-protecting shield for providing asubstantially watertight and releasable sealing engagement between atleast a portion of the perimeter forming an upper edge of the face maskand at least a portion of the skin of the wearer's face, wherein theupper part of the perimeter of the mask is provided with a continuouslayer of adhesive along the perimeter, and the lower part of theperimeter of the mask is free of adhesive. As the shield, disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 7,774,858, has adhesive attached to the first surfacefacing the wearer's face it is not completely waterproof due to aslightly lifted edge of the shield at the forehead of the wearer.

There is thus a need for a device which is capable of being comfortablyworn, is reusable, and is capable of forming an effective water tightseal to cover and protect the desired areas of face, eyes, and eyebrows.There is further need for a waterproof face shield, which isinexpensive, light-weight and easy to apply and remove without hinderingthe ability of the wearer to shower and shampoo effectively andcomfortably.

SUMMARY

It is an object of preferred embodiments of the present invention toprovide a comfortable, flexible, and reusable face mask that provides ashield for the wearer's eyes without the need for side bars or strapsfor keeping the face mask in place, said face mask being comfortable andeasy to use.

It is a further object of preferred embodiments of the present inventionto provide a face mask, which avoids covering the whole face so as notto make the wearer feel anxious and uncomfortable.

Still further it is an object of the invention to provide a face maskwhich allows for free airflow to the eye region and nose and mouthallowing free breathing through the nose and the mouth, and whichminimizes the inconvenience of dewing on the surfaces of the mask andleaves the wearer able to see through the mask.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a face mask which inuse directs water to one or both sides of the face for avoiding waterflowing under the mask and in to the eyes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In a first aspect the present invention provides a protective face maskcomprising: an eye-protecting shield, strip of tape, and release liner.The eye-protecting shield is made essentially from a plastics material,the eye-protecting shield being dimensioned to cover at least the eyeportions of a human wearer, the eye-protecting shield having a perimeterdefining a first surface facing the wearer's face, and a second surfacefacing away from the wearer's face; wherein the mask extends along thecontour of the wearer's face from the forehead to cheekbones. The stripof tape is made from a hypoallergenic silicone material that allows foreasy, pain-free repositioning and removal. The strip of tape isapproximately 1 inch in width and 10 inches in length. The strip of tapeshould adhere to the second surface of the eye-protecting shield as wellas the user's forehead, therefore creating a waterproof barrier. Therelease liner is made from a paper or plastic-based film sheet used toprevent the sticky surface of the tape from prematurely adhering.

The face mask of the invention fulfills the above-mentioned objects andis in the form of a simple and cheap product which is easy tomanufacture and more comfortable than the masks of the state of the art.It has been found that the problems with condensation are minimizedusing the mask of the invention. It has been found that the lower edgeof the face mask should not extend beyond the bridge of the nose inorder to not interfere with exhaled air.

In a preferred embodiment of the face mask the lower perimeter thereofdoes not extend over the nose, rather it hovers over the bridge of thenose. This embodiment allows for free breathing through the nose whilewearing the mask and comfortable use by wearer. This embodiment ispreferred for use for e.g. children or for adults closing the mouth whenshowering.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the upper part of theperimeter of the mask generally has a convex, spherical shape giving aneasier and better adaptation to the shape of the forehead and alsoassists in directing water around the eyes, nose, and mouth.

In preferred embodiments, the face shield is made almost entirely fromone single type of material. It will hence be appreciated that the facemask of the invention hence may be more flexible, light and compliantthan the eyewear disclosed in WO 2004/010912. Furthermore theeye-protecting shield avoids the problem of formation of dew unlike theface mask disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,535.

In preferred embodiments, the strip of tape is wide enough to attach totop section of the second surface of the face shield and the user'sforehead area simultaneously. Therefore, creating a waterproof barrieron the top edge of the face mask, while leaving the bottom edge open toair flow.

It should further be understood that the eye-protecting shield may havea thickness of approximately 0.01-0.25 mm.

Embodiments including three components only, i.e. the single-pieceeye-protecting shield, the strip of tape attached, and the release linerthereto provides a simplified construction. Generally, the simplestructure of the face mask of the present invention allows it to bemanufactured at low cost, while being light, comfortable and easy touse, e.g. for protecting the wearer's eyes during treatment or washingof the wearer's hair.

The face mask is designed to be re-usable.

It is desirable that the protective shield, and thus the face mask, issomewhat flexible and light. The eye-protecting shield should preferablybe sufficiently light and flexible to allow it to conform comfortably tothe shape and contour of the wearer's face in the region of the wearer'seyes and nose. The face mask should be flexible yet hold its shape toprotect from water pressure while the user is in the shower. The facemask, or at least a major portion of the eye-protecting shield, istransparent, allowing the wearer to view through the shield.

The detailed description of the invention is provided primarily forpurposes of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention. Itwill be recognized by those skilled in the art that the preferredembodiment is not intended to be limited to the particular structuresand method of operation as they may be readily modified. It will befurther readily apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous othermodifications not mentioned herein can still be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed in the followingclaims.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

The invention is disclosed more in detail with reference to the drawingsin which

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the face mask, in accordance with oneembodiment thereof;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the face mask as, in accordance with oneembodiment thereof;

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of removal of release liner;

FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a partial, magnified cross section of a side of the embodimentof the present invention

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention is now explained more in detail with reference to thedrawings showing preferred embodiments of the invention but which arenot to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

FIGS. 1-3 show a face shield comprising a body 10 of a sheet oftransparent flexible plastic material in a shape adapted to fitconveniently and comfortably around the contour of a wearer's face. Theface mask generally provides protection against liquids such as soap andwater or rain, and wind without sealing off the entire eye contour andwithout the use of side bars and furthermore without sealing off theside of the face and the jaw area. The face mask comprises a frontplastic shield 10, a strip of tape 11, and a release liner 12. At leasta portion and preferably the entire front plastic shield 10 istransparent. The shield material is flexible and light, but has somerigidity, so that it easily conforms to the wearer's face and beprotective. The convex bottom edge 13 is made of a flexible plasticmaterial and is shaped to comfortably hover over the bridge of the noseof the wearer. The strip of tape 11 is made from a hypoallergenicsilicone adhesive material and connects to the face mask 10 at the topedge. The strip of adhesive tape forms a continuous watertight sealbetween the convex top edge 14 and a portion of the user's face. Therelease liner 12 is made of a paper or plastic-based film sheet used toprevent the sticky surface of the tape from prematurely adhering. FIG. 3demonstrates the removal of the release liner 12 from the face mask.

Suitable materials for the eye-protective shield of the invention aretransparent flexible materials that hold shape. The shield is preferablea thin, transparent, flexible plastic material which may be essentiallyshaped in three dimensions. It is preferably shaped and sized such thatthe perimeter of the shield extends along with and in contact with thecontour of the wearer's face from the forehead to cheekbones, but hoversover the bridge of nose. Other suitable plastic materials are acrylester materials such as polyurethane film (PU), PMMA, polystyrenematerials, or polycarbonates such as polyethylene of polypropylene orpolyvinyl chloride.

For example, the shield may be made from a single sheet of polycarbonatefilm, optionally surface-treated.

The entire assembly is maintained on the user's head in a well knownmanner by means of a strip of tape 11.

In FIG. 4, the face mask is illustrated in use. A transparent plasticshield 10 covers the wearer's eyes and is retained in place by the stripof tape 11. FIG. 4 illustrates how the face mask protects the wearer'seyes without sealing off the entire eye contour or nose region,providing free eye contour movements and air supply to the eyes andnose. FIG. 4 also illustrates the free access to the user's hair duringuse of the face mask and also illustrates that the jaw area is free andenables unhindered movement of the jaw, e.g. when speaking.

FIG. 5 shows a partial, magnified cross sectional view of the embodimentof the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional detail of theadhesive strip 11 and the release liner 12, both shown with anexaggerated thickness, attached to the plastic shield 10. The curvatureof the plastic shield 10 ensures free, comfortable eye movement. Theadhesive strip 11 ensures a secured and waterproof fit of the face mask.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A protective face mask, comprising aneye-protecting shield, a water resistant adhesive strip, and a releaseliner.
 2. The face-mask according to claim 1, wherein the eye-protectingshield is transparent, flexible, light, and made from a plasticsmaterial.
 3. The eye-protecting shield being dimensioned to cover atleast the eye portions of a human wearer, the eye-protecting shieldhaving a perimeter defining a first surface facing a forehead andcheekbones of the wearer's face, and a second surface facing away fromthe wearer's face, the mask extends along the contour of the wearer'sface from the forehead to cheekbones and covers the wearer's face fromthe forehead to bridge of nose.
 4. The face-mask according to claim 1, awater resistant adhesive tape extending adjacent said upper and upperside edges, said sealing means for forming a continuous water tight sealagainst the perimeter of the face of said wearer to form a structure ofsaid wearer to trail shower water away from the face the first surfaceof the eye-protecting shield for providing a substantially watertightand releasable sealing engagement between at least a portion of theperimeter forming an upper edge of the face mask and at least a portionof the skin of the wearer's face.
 5. The face-mask according to claim 1,a release liner made of a paper or plastic-based film sheet used toprevent the sticky surface of the tape from prematurely adhering.